Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty agent Wade Knight made a big splash in his first year on the company's BP MS 150 team. The annual bicycle trek from Houston to Austin to benefit multiple sclerosis research has become a major company project over the past few years.

A longtime agent and student of Martha Turner, Knight joined the team this year and bested the bunch, raising more than $14,000 in the six-week push leading to the July 1 fundraising deadline.

Janet Burkett, Firethorne's marketing director, recently travelled with a delegation from Family Legacy Missions International for a week in Zambia she called "life changing."

"My family (the Rives, from Dallas) became very involved in Family Legacy and have been going to Zambia with this program since 2008 to help abused and poverty-stricken children at the Tree of Life Children's Village and surrounding villages, just outside the capital city of Lusaka," she said. Other family members started to make the annual trip in 2010. "Each year after their return they have shared their meaningful stories about the ways they have made a life-changing differences in children's lives through Family Legacy," she said.

Burkett said she was surprised how quickly and easily she fell in love with the eleven 8- to 11-year-old girls she cared for all week.

"I was totally amazed that in the midst of extreme poverty, an AIDS epidemic, corruption and the abuse that has wreaked havoc on this society - the children are so loving, happy and trusting," she said.

Burkett has worked for Jefferson Development, the developer of Cole's Crossing and Firethorne for 15 years.

It was all about the red, white and blue last week at Bernstein Realty last week.

On July 4, agent Mark McNitt put out American flags throughout Copper Lakes, his neighborhood, to celebrate the nation's birthday.

Amy Bernstein, Rich Stone, Scott Minchen, Mary Piper, Gloria Moorman, Donna Neely and Samantha Piper, along with several friends and clients participated in the Memorial Villages Red, White and Blue Independence Day Festival. The group road in a parade through the villages and then celebrated at Memorial Drive Baptist Church with a fun festival. This is the third year Bernstein Realty has participated in this seasonal spectacular.

Proud mom and Bernstein agent Roxanne Pyle had plenty to celebrate in the news her daughter Carson, who plays volleyball for Memorial High School, went to the medal round in that sport at the Junior Olympics.

Cathi Lamberth of Beth Wolff Realtors Real Living celebrated her Independence Day with her son Lucas at the St. Thomas High School Celebration and Fireworks viewing. Beth Wolff Realtors Real Living was an event sponsor of the event, bringing the school and local communities together to celebrate. Lamberth said that with catered food, a carnival including a petting zoo and giant slide, the event was fun for the whole family.

Relaxation, wine tasting and catching up with good friends were highlights of the weekend with daughter Whitney Gaffney and others.

Your columnist is checking in this week from St. Simons and Sea islands off the Georgia coast, south of Savannah. I am delighted to report that real estate here is bouncing back after the financial crisis weathered by the region's largest employer and primary tourist attraction, Sea Island Co. The new owners have the resort and golf jewels sparkling again, and home sales are on an upward swing. Still, the availability of quality inventory here would have most of us in Houston green with envy.